Struggling in Quicksand

"For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do,  

but I do what I hate”. Romans 7:15.  CSB

We are in a battle. Note Paul's words above. He wants to do what is right - obeying Jesus and living 

a Christian life but, he ends up doing what he hates - what he knows he should not be doing. Sound familiar? 

The battle is between  our new life in Jesus and our flesh. The flesh wants to hold on to our previous life, before Jesus entered our hearts. We know that what we do in the flesh is wrong but we do it anyway. It is a mighty struggle and we end up thinking, 'What is wrong with me? Surely I'm not a Christian doing this all of the time.'

Paul knows it is wrong but, he can't break free (v16). The closer we get to God, the more conscious we are of sin and failure. And it becomes like wading through quicksand, fighting the struggle not to sink and get swallowed up in the mirey mess. We know it is our flesh and that nothing good lives in our previous life (v18). Remember, even though we have crucified our old self on the cross with Jesus, our flesh hasn't and it will try and pull us in the direction it has always known. Our old self was put to death but our flesh wasn't.

When we come to Jesus, our identity changes; we become like Him with a new direction. We are totally washed clean; our sin is forgiven. However, we are still living in a body that is contaminated by flesh. Therefore, what we don't want to do, we end up doing it but, we are not the one who is doing it, it is this sin that lives within our flesh (v20). Now this is not a feeble excuse or a licence to carry on with our sinful life because we are not responsible for it. Not at all. It is a reminder that we have a choice to make and that is to call on the only one who can rescue us from this quicksand - Jesus. Notice, that Paul gives a shout of 'Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.' (v25).

Remember, we are all the same, we make mistakes, we commit sin and always will until we are safe in the arms of Jesus in heaven. But until then, we have Jesus, who knows what it is like to endure this temptation:

'Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens — Jesus the Son of God — let us hold fast to our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. 16Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.'   Hebrews 4:14-16. CSB

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. 

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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Don't make Assumptions

"Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”  7And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.  8But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

                                                                                     Acts 1:6-8  NKJV

At times we want to know too much. Some people want to go deeper, picking the bones out of everything they hear. That can be good for bible study but, not so much for everyday conversation. In can become too intense. Take for example Peter when he was being restored back to kingdom business. He too wanted to know too much about things that didn't concern him at the time (John 21:20-22).

Sometimes we want to know the in's and out's of everything and mostly we just don't need to know. This is where a gossip gathers their information. They listen to conversations and ask many questions and when they are satisfied that they have all the info, off they go. You can always recognise these people because they are so persistent in information gathering. Therefore, be careful what you say to people. Not all people are gossips however; many just want to know what is happening and why because they are curious. 

Here, Jesus was telling HIs disciples to prepare for something that was going to change their lives for the better and He wanted to grab their attention with it. But some of them wanted to know more and by this, they were assuming that Jesus may be planning to restore the kingdom of Israel. But this was not on His mind at this time. Notice how some people can bring the assumption factor into play and get things totally wrong. The answer to this is, 'Don't make Assumptions'.

Be careful that you listen to Jesus and read your bible properly, and don't add anything that He hasn't told you. Make sure Jesus has said it!

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. 

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

Check it out. Just tap in Grahame Howard books.

Don't make rash decisions

"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, 

But the Lord weighs the hearts."

                                                                         Proverbs 21:2   NKJV

We should always seeks God's approval and direction before, we make any particular decision. We also need to check our hearts and ascertain what are our motives for such a decision. Our minds can trick our hearts into thinking that we need to do a particular thing. All the decisions that we consider seem right to us if we are not placing God in the driving seat. We need to think twice before making any important decision because, usually, when something has been committed it can't be changed. We need to consult the Lord.

Proverbs 16:3 says, 'Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established.' It couldn't be any clearer than that, could it? The word 'works' in other versions can be quoted as 'plans'. 

It is so important to do this. We can so easily trick ourselves into thinking the decisions we are making are God's, when they're not. So be careful. Also, let us not forget that the Lord knows our heart; what our motives for asking are. If we are not careful, we can make the most awful blunders.

Bibleref.com comments:

'A person may think his behavior is fine, but the ultimate Judge is God. No matter how good a person may think he is, the Lord looks upon the heart and sees whatever sin is there.' 

At certain times in our lives, we have probably all been guilty of doing this. However, from this day forward we need to keep a check. 

'To do righteousness and justice, is more acceptable to the LORD.' Psalm 21:2. NKJV.

So there we have it, make your decisions with God and you won't go wrong.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. 

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

Check it out. Just tap in Grahame Howard books.

Praise, Praise and more Praise

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."

                                                                    Psalm 136:1   NKJV

It is good to praise the Lord, I'll go further, it is necessary for He has been so good to us. Psalm 34:1 says: 'I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.'

Notice the three words, 'at all times'. As our text today says, it is good to praise and thank Him.

When you have more time, meditate on these two verses; they pack power and actually show us that our duty here on earth is to do just that - praise, thank and be grateful to Him. Just think of the times you have let God down - multiple times. But, His mercy comes through and blesses us, forgives us and gives us His peace.

There is so much to praise and thank Him for, taking for instance:

(1)  Ours lives in general, (2)  If we're married, our wife/husband and children, (3)  Our homes,  (4). Our job and bank account,  5)  Good health or the health that you have at this time good or bad, (6) The love and protection that Jesus always gives us. And there is much more that we could mention here. God is good to each one of us.

The scriptures says we should do this at all times; does this mean when we're going through a really bad time? Yes it does, because God can change this but, if He doesn't, there is still room to praise and thank Him. Where we still have a life, there is still the ability to offer thanks to Him. Take for example one of the criminals on the cross at the side of Jesus. Another criminal was verbally abusing Jesus but, this particularly one said to Jesus, 'Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom'. 43 And Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.'  Luke 23:42-43 NKJV. This is an example of blessing the Lord at all times. It was his way of repenting and asking Jesus into his life. Jesus accepted this and, today he is in Paradise. Paul and Silas were no different. They were in a filthy position; a rat-infested dungeon with filth and disgusting odours, yet they could still praise God. Acts 16.

Whatever you are going through today, go to your safe place and begin to praise God. It may be difficult initially but keep pressing in. God will then meet you in prayer. There is nothing too hard for Jesus to solve - nothing!

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. 

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

Check it out. Just tap in Grahame Howard books.

Is it time for you to rest?

"And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat."

                                                                             Mark 6:31  NKJV

Have you been overdoing things just lately? You may not think so but, deep down within, you know that you have. Isn't it about time that you took a little time for yourself. What about your hobbies, have they taken second place to other things. The things you are wearing yourself out over may seem important, but at the end of the day, if you wear yourself out someone else will do them, won't they?

Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is to get some sleep. Remember, we are human beings and energy levels become low when we overdo things or become ill. God doesn't sleep but, Jesus needed sleep and if He does, then you can bet that you and I do.

Some days, it is difficult to drag ourselves out of bed, especially on cold mornings. As we become older, the need to stay in bed for more sleep becomes more of a temptation. It is said that the average human being spends at least a third of their life asleep:

'A good night's sleep is vital for every human being to survive. Given that an average  person sleeps for 8 hours in a day, that means that an average person will sleep for

229,961 hours in their lifetime or basically one third of their life.'   Google.com

A third of our life asleep, based on 8 hours per night. That is a lot of time. Some would say that we are wasting our life by sleeping too much but, at the end of the day, we need it.

How are you with your daily tasks - work or spiritual? Do you do just enough to justify your position or, do you go the extra mile? It comes down to dedication in some cases. Some people just have it in them to do that little bit extra; but others, only do what is expected of them. Who is in the wrong? None of them, they are both doing their job properly and that is all that's asked of them. 

However, at the end of the day, if you don't get enough rest you may burn out and, others may suffer too - your family for one. If you're too busy then the home and family can suffer. Is there a suitable balance? Yes there is, and Jesus gives His reason for resting in v32 'So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves' Note the words 'by themselves'. Jesus encouraged them to go to a place where people wouldn't be talking to them, asking them questions or wanting something from them. It was a safe place.

Have you a safe place that you can rest for a while?

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. 

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

Check it out

Abortion

"My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. 16Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began."  Ps 139:15-16  CSB

On reaching the final part of our study of Psalm 139, I want us to look at a most contentious and heavily debated subject - Abortion. Therefore let us have a brief look at this subject.

Many people today are against this act, they class it as murder. Others say that it is needed, especially if there are signs that the child may have a serious disability and to be kind, the child should be aborted. There are arguments for both sides of this particular situation. Further to this, is the person who wants a very active sex life but doesn't want the repercussions, such as a child. Some women may be married and don't want their spouse to find out about this. Again, this is all debatable and arguments for and against may be favourable.

But, what does God feel about this subject. I will tell you plainly, He is horrified that an unborn baby should be terminated because they are just an embryo. Our passage today gives us a good insight into what I am describing. When David was in the womb he was not hidden from God v15. David declares 'Your eyes saw me when I was formless. David may well have been an embryo, but God knew that he was alive and He saw the finished product, a baby David.

Human life begins from the moment of conception. God didn't just see an embryo or foetus in the womb but He saw Israel's future king, David. He saw a thriving human being. Why would David say such a thing as 'all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began,' if he didn't believe it to be true? And it is the same for each one of us. When we were in our mother's womb, God saw us and longed for us to turn to Him when we were finally born. We are part of His divine plan.

Abortion has got to be wrong. It is murder. It is taking that unborn embryo's chance of life, it is robbery. Whatever the reason, and there are many, why abortion should take place; to accept abortion as an acceptable way of life should be stopped and classed as a crime. This of course is my opinion and I am sure that you have your own opinions on it. But let me leave you with this thought:

'How could a righteous woman turn against her own children to destroy them? Abortion is not only unthinkable, it is also the height of pagan barbarity.'  

                                                                                                        Pat Robertson, Spirit Filled Life Bible

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. 

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

Check it out

Fearfully and wonderfully made

"For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my 

soul knows very well."  

                             Psalm 139:13-14   NKJV

Today, many scientists believe that the world was created by evolution. But this is not true; we are not here by chance or the Big Bang Theory. We are here because God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, said in a mighty voice, 'Let there be light, and there was light' (Genesis 1:3). God created each one of us and also created this world. It is His, not the scientist's. David confirms this in verse 13 when he said that God had formed him and his inward parts in his mother's womb.

We too are part of God's creation; when He put us together by His hands. As David says 'I am fearfully and wonderfully made' v14. You were not a mistake, as some parents may have told their children; your existence was intentional because God never makes mistakes - never has, never will. You were created in the image of God.

How can some people look in the mirror and say that they're ugly. That is a lie from the pit. You were fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. To say you are ugly is to say that God is ugly and that is not true at all. A person may feel that they are too fat or too thin; or not tall enough. Their hair is ginger when it should have been black. Come on, this is touching on vanity. God made you just the way He wanted to and He is satisfied so, do likewise.

People who are not satisfied with their appearance can tend to be lacking in confidence. Their self-worth can be rock-bottom and they search around trying to make themselves look better. They may drink lot's of alcohol because it makes them feel good. But this is only temporary because when they sober up, they are just the same. Others may spend lots of money to have their appearance changed - hairstyles or plastic surgery to name two of many. But did God really create you to have pink hair? Did He make a mistake and create you with big ears, a wonky nose or crooked teeth? No, you were fearfully and wonderfully made.

God looks at you and thinks that He made a good job in creating you. He wants you to do the same. He wants you confident, fearless and at peace. He wants you secure in yourself and in Him. Why? Because you are His creation and He loves you.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. 

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

Check it out